2007 Cadillac Escalade Base Sport Utility 4-door 6.2l on 2040-cars

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Reuss says Cadillac CT6-based Buick could happen

Could the upcoming Cadillac CT6 and its Omega platform spawn a Buick variant? According to General Motors' product chief Mark Reuss, it could potentially be in the cards, but "not yet." "We're working on that," Reuss told Automotive News at the 2015 New York Auto Show. While there hasn't been a large, rear-drive Buick on dealerships since the Roadmaster in 1996, the company gave a big hint that it could head in that direction with the Avenir Concept, shown earlier this year at the Detroit Auto Show. As Automotive News explains, a rear-drive Omega-platform Buick could be a real hit in China, where consumers buy 13 Buicks for every one Cadillac. That move would be a big help to GM's bottom line, too, as it'd significantly increase the Omega platform's economy of scale. If a large Buick based on the CT6 were to head to China, though, it likely wouldn't be a simple case of badge engineering (thank God). Reuss hinted to Automotive News that while the mixed-material construction of the CT6 platform "is very flexible," doing an "identical version of that platform or not is a different conversation." What are your thoughts? Should Buick adopt the Omega platform for an Avenir-based sedan? Should that vehicle be sold here in the US, or should it be a China-only offering? Have your say in Comments. Related Video:

How GM's grueling 24-hour test gets the kinks out of its performance cars

One of the biggest challenges automakers face when designing a high-performance car is making sure that it is both fast and reliable. For General Motors, any car that might be taken to the track by its owner - like the Corvette, Camaro Z/28 (shown above) and the Cadillac CTS-V, for example - undergoes a rigorous and strenuous 24-hour test by engineers at the Milford Proving Grounds, as pointed out by Car and Driver.
We've posted on this topic in the past - on a video showing the Camaro ZL1 being brutalized, for instance - but this article gives a more in-depth look at what actually happens behind the scenes... including what that poor ZL1 went through. Though the test isn't for 24 hours straight, the cars are pushed as hard as possible by some of GM's best drivers with only the brakes and tires replaced frequently.
We don't want to ruin the fun for you, but it is an interesting article that tells just some of what GM does to develop its sports cars. Check out the full article over at Car and Driver for the rest of the story.

2014 Cadillac XTS gets 410-hp twin-turbo V6

General Motors told us so back in March, but it is now official: The twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6 announced for the 2014 Cadillac CTS will also join the options list for the 2014 Cadillac XTS. The LF3 engine puts out 410 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque in the XTS, however, which is 10 hp and 61 lb-ft down from its application in the CTS. It will be identifiable from the outside by a specific grille treatment and a badge on the decklid. The 3.6-liter V6 with 304 hp and 264 lb-ft holds steady as the standard engine, and both will be yoked to a six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters.
Also new for the front-wheel drive model for 2014 are updates that include electric power steering and optional Automatic Parking Assist that can maneuver the sedan into parallel parking spots. The three trims above standard - Luxury, Premium and Platinum - get Intellibeam headlights that automatically switch between high- and low-beam,
The four current trim levels remain but the list of optional extras for the higher specs grows with a rear-seat entertainment system equipped with DVD screens in the front seatbacks, memory settings for the front passenger seat and an armrest in the back seat fitted with radio and sunshade controls. The press release below has more info on all of the changes.